Vinda picks Malaysia for regional hub
KLANG: Hong Kong-based Vinda International Holdings Ltd will invest more than RM500 million on a new regional hub in Malaysia and other projects here in five years.
Vinda SEA president Su Ting Nee said a 27-acre site in Bandar Bukit Raja, Klang will house an automated finished goods warehouse, a double-storey plant with raw material warehouse and a six-storey administration block that will also feature an innovation centre.
The company expects the first phase to be completed in 2021, while the second phase by 2023, she told reporters at the groundbreaking ceremony of Vinda’s new regional hub as well as its first innovation centre outside China.
Su said the new plant represented a high value investment for Malaysia.
The Vinda Innovation Centre is the only one outside of China, incorporating a range of green technologies in its design such as solar panels, rain water harvesting and waste management including water treatment and composting of organic waste, she added.
“The regional headquarters will not only centralise expertise and high value activities in Malaysia, but also make the group globally competitive through the use of the latest technologies and automation.
“Vinda SEA expects the changes to increase its capacity by more than 20 per cent when the facilities are fully in operation,” she said.
Vinda International Holdings Ltd Hong Kong chief executive officer Johann Christoph Michalski said Malaysia was chosen over several other countries.
The country’s good infrastructure, a culturally diverse workforce and ease of logistics were the deciding factors, he added.
“The regional hub will develop, manufacture and market four different product categories including baby care, incontinence care, feminine care and tissue products,” Michalski said.
The company, he said, was present in over 25 countries including India and Saudi Arabia with Malaysia being its strongest market.
“Coupled with our strong presence in here, it was an obvious decision for Vinda to set up our regional hub and Innovation Centre here to support our continous growth expansion in Southeast Asia,” he added.
The plant will employ about 1,300 staff, almost all of whom are Malaysians. They will form part of the Vinda Group’s 11,000 strong workforce in Asia.
Vinda Group is one of the largest companies for hygiene products in Asia.
It recorded HK$2.8 billion in revenue from the personal care segment last year, up 7.3 per cent over 2017.
Vinda’s personal care products are popular in Southeast Asia, under many tissue and personal care brands such as Vinda, Drypers, TENA, Dr P, Libresse, VIA, Tempo, Tork , Libero and Sealer.
Source: NST